As violent crime and ‘defund the police’ efforts surge across the US, Americans have found security and comfort in owning a firearm.  Gun sales soared in June, with 2,387,524 weapons sold, a year-over-year increase of 145.3% from June 2019 according to Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting.

The recent weeks of unrest across America have only supported the idea that policing is needed to maintain law and order. Americans saw that when police pull back, a movement that started peacefully was quickly hijacked by violent radicals who are set on destroying the communities and livelihoods of black and white Americans alike.

“Likely single handgun sales (1,511,714) increased year-over-year by 177.5% whereas single long-gun sales (690,212) increased year-over-year by 114.3%. All other likely background check-related sales (185,599) increased year-over-year by 74.0%. This includes so-called ‘multiple’ sales where the allocation between handguns and long-guns cannot be determined from the data record,” the firm reported.

“The new coronavirus pandemic, civil unrest after the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing movement to defund police are bringing in new buyers worried about their personal safety, according to buyers, store owners and gun experts,” The Washington Post reported. “In June, background checks for firearms were up 136%, compared to a year earlier … background checks in June for civilians seeking a license to carry were the highest since the FBI began conducting checks 20 years ago.”

The Washington Post reported that dealers estimate about 40% of guns were bought by first-time buyers, “an increase over the normal average of about a quarter.” The paper also said many of the new buyers “are people who say they never thought they would own a firearm and were previously critical of those who did.”

Gun sales soared in May, especially after the death of George Floyd, which has prompted riots, looting, and arson in dozens of cities across the U.S. As a result of these events, firearm sales in June were the highest on record (since data collection began in 1998), with 3.9 million firearms sold. This includes an additional 1.4 million firearms beyond the number that we would normally expect to be sold in June.

The data presented here are from background checks conducted by the FBI before a firearm is sold by a licensed dealer. These data do not perfectly measure firearm sales, but they are highly correlated with sales and are commonly used by researchers.

The American public doesn’t need the leftist media to tell them that when police retreat, crime spikes. As long as there is a persistent call for defunding the police, Americans will take matters into their own hands by becoming gun owners and Democrats will fail to win hearts and minds on the gun control issue.

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